Description

This Christmas Cake recipe offers an easy method to create a moist and richly flavored fruit cake packed with a mixture of soaked dried fruits and warming spices. Traditionally served with pouring custard or decorated with marzipan and fondant, it makes a perfect festive centerpiece dessert that can be enjoyed plain or elegantly adorned.

Ingredients

Scale

Fast Soaked Fruit:

300g raisins
150g diced dried apricots, chopped 8 mm / 1/3"
75g mixed peel, diced 5 mm / 1/5"
150g glace cherries, chopped 8 mm / 1/3"
180g dates, diced 5 mm / 1/5"
1 cup + 2 tbsp apple juice, or 1/3 cup brandy + 2/3 cup juice

Cake:

120g unsalted butter, softened (1 US stick)
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup vegetable oil (or canola, peanut, grapeseed)
3 tbsp molasses or golden syrup
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp all spice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
3 large eggs
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 2/3 cups plain flour (all purpose flour)
3/4 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

For Serving (optional):

500ml pouring custard, homemade or store bought

White Christmas Cake Decoration (optional):

250g "ready to roll" marzipan
250g "ready to roll" white fondant
Cherries dusted with icing sugar

Other Decorating Options (optional):

Cherries or other fruit dusted with icing sugar (on plain cake)
Drippy white glaze (plain sweet white glaze)

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Instructions

Prepare Fast Soaked Fruit: Place all the dried fruit and apple juice or brandy mixture into a large microwavable container. Microwave on high for 1 1/2 minutes or until hot. Stir thoroughly to coat all fruit in the liquid, cover the container, and let stand for 1 hour to soak and cool while the fruit plumps.
Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Heat the oven to 160°C / 320°F (140°C fan). Grease and line a 21–22 cm (8–9") round cake pan with baking paper, ensuring the sides come up about 7 cm (2.75") tall.
Mix Butter, Sugar and Wet Ingredients: Using an electric mixer, beat the softened butter and dark brown sugar on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the vegetable oil and molasses or golden syrup, and beat until well combined.
Add Spices, Salt, and Baking Powder: Beat in salt, all spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and baking powder until incorporated evenly into the mixture.
Incorporate Eggs: Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each until just incorporated. Avoid over-mixing.
Add Flour: Stir in the plain flour gradually until mostly combined.
Fold in Fruit and Nuts: Carefully fold in the soaked fruit mixture including any remaining liquid from the soaking bowl, and if using, add the chopped walnuts. Ensure an even distribution without overworking the batter.
Bake the Cake: Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and cover the top loosely with foil. Bake for 2 1/2 hours. Remove the foil and continue baking for an additional 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean without batter.
Cool the Cake: Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Then transfer the cake to a wire rack and cool completely before serving or decorating.
Cutting and Serving: Cut the cake into thin wedges or strip shapes about 2 cm (0.75") wide, then into serving pieces. Serve plain or with pouring custard. For decoration, use marzipan and fondant as described or simply dust with icing sugar and fresh fruit.
Decorating (Optional): For traditional white Christmas cake decoration, roll out the marzipan and cover the cake, smoothing pleats with a wet knife. Then roll out and cover with white fondant. Create a quilted diamond pattern on the side using a blunt-edged tool, highlight intersections with silver balls, and top with cherries dusted lightly with icing sugar.

Notes

Dried fruit amounts can be varied to total approximately 855g (30 oz) finely chopped for best moist texture.
Use apple juice for a neutral taste or brandy diluted with juice if alcohol is desired.
Dark brown sugar gives a rich color; light brown sugar may be used but will result in a lighter color cake.
Molasses or golden syrup adds richness and depth of flavor; either is acceptable.
Pouring custard can be homemade or store bought; vanilla bean paste added to store-bought custard enhances flavor and appearance.
Store cake up to 1 month in an airtight container in the fridge or freeze up to 1 year; it remains moist and flavorful.
This rich and dense cake serves about 20 to 25 people when cut into small slices.
Marzipan layer smooths the cake under fondant and adds subtle almond taste, but minor cracks and tears can be smoothed with a wet knife or fondant patches.
Alternative simple decoration includes fresh fruit dusted with icing sugar or a drippy white glaze without lemon juice for a sweet glaze finish.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 slice (approx. 1/25th cake)
Calories: 310 kcal
Sugar: 25 g
Sodium: 150 mg
Fat: 14 g
Saturated Fat: 4.5 g
Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 42 g
Fiber: 3 g
Protein: 3 g
Cholesterol: 65 mg